Apart from the obvious of going on a diet - what have you done/replaced to reduce the weight of your locost?
Changed the battery from a standard Sierra to a motorbike one.
Best bit was the battery was a £1 ebay special and the acid cost me £2!
Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Changed the battery from a standard Sierra to a motorbike one.
Mike
Ive fitted light weight alloys. ATS DTC's (optional extra on some Westies).
Removed dizzy. Swapped carbs (not sure if i saved weight or not but it goes better). Not fitted header tank.
[Edited on 28/11/07 by DarrenW]
quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
Ive fitted light weight alloys. ATS DTC's (optional extra on some Westies).
Removed dizzy. Swapped carbs (not sure if i saved weight or not but it goes better). Not fitted header tank.
[Edited on 28/11/07 by DarrenW]
wheels and tyres , lighter calipers, solid discs instead of vented alloy bolts in none stressed areas other bolts cut to length, grp seats instead of
padded type and not taking a pasenger aswell
Alloy bell housing, small alternator, alloy diff housing if you're using english axle, alloy hub carriers, single digidash unit compared to multi dials, alloy dampers with smaller diam. using smaller diam springs, alloy front uprights, alloy fual tank (smaller?), alloy T9 gearbox case (quaife) light CDS tube roll bar etc... there's a lot you can do, but most if not all cost a bundle.
quote:
Originally posted by bigrich
wheels and tyres , lighter calipers, solid discs instead of vented alloy bolts in none stressed areas other bolts cut to length, grp seats instead of padded type and not taking a pasenger aswell
Bike engine......... nuff said.
Phil
PS - Perforated chassis and floor, bolts cut down to size, helium in tyres...
PPS - Only kidding (Just in case you decide to try the perforated chassis and helium in tyres)
carbon fibre bodywork
You could fit smaller resevoirs (wrong spelling i think) for water, coolant etc
alumnium radiator, mount close to engine to keep hoses short, helium in tyres, spoked steering wheel, don't paint bodywork, don't fit windscreen, fit LED lamps so can use thinner section cable, no reverse lamp or wiring, ... and so on.
you have all missed the obvious one.. (unless I missed it!)
Go on a diet! Undoubtedly heaviest and most useless part of most cars is the driver... shed some weight there! (I reckon I could/should save about
30lbs )
quote:
Originally posted by DaveFJ
you have all missed the obvious one.. (unless I missed it!)
Go on a diet! Undoubtedly heaviest and most useless part of most cars is the driver... shed some weight there! (I reckon I could/should save about 30lbs )
quote:
Originally posted by unkle
Apart from the obvious of going on a diet - what have you done/replaced to reduce the weight of your locost?
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by DaveFJ
you have all missed the obvious one.. (unless I missed it!)
Go on a diet! Undoubtedly heaviest and most useless part of most cars is the driver... shed some weight there! (I reckon I could/should save about 30lbs )
no YOU have missed the obvious one.
First post being:
quote:
Originally posted by unkle
Apart from the obvious of going on a diet - what have you done/replaced to reduce the weight of your locost?
I'll get my coat
quote:
Originally posted by DaveFJ
I'll get my coat
Lighter wheels, alloy uprights and calipers etc.. alloy floor.
without going into the obvious the guy i bought my car was a weight saving fanatic and im going further with more carbon /titainium and ally
bolts.change steering column to tube with your connectors rewelded,lightened discs to rear as well as front,ally pedals instead of steel or drill
existing,lighten lobros even heard of gun drilling drive shaftsand centres of bolts.drill holes in anything which isnt stressed .stick on tax disc
holder the list ,goes on
[Edited on 28/11/07 by higgsti]
well if your really going that far!!! remove body panels and replace with that plasticy film stuff they use to cover model aircraft!
How about a Balsa wood dash?
quote:
Originally posted by Hellfire
Bike engine......... nuff said.
Drilling driveshafts? That is quite extreme. I wonder what the theoretical lowest weight could be, if you followed all of the above suggestions... If you were starting a build and had the option (and money) to fit all of the lightest parts available, a BEC, CDS tube, titanium fasteners, CF instead of GRP etc etc. what do you think the lowest ROAD LEGAL car could be - I would hazard a wet weight (with a tiny plastic fuel tank!) of 350kg. Then you could look at going very silly and make the chassis from carbon (yes it can be done and I've seen it - it was very light and very stiff, but you add the need for earth wire everywhere)... sod it, lets just walk and be done with it.
the guy i bought my car off has had the raceleda stub shafts in titainium.chris masons car though not road legal wouldnt take much is hovering somewhere around 350kg and hes not started lightening yet
quote:
Originally posted by unkle
wonder what the lightest car battery is.....
Lighter wheels are often the most noticable upgrade. You lose a few pounds with lighter rims/tires, you are losing unsprung mass, and you are losing
rotating mass as well. Rotating mass reduces power so its three for the price of one . More power, less unsprung mass, and less mass overall.
Cheers.
I'll second that - the place to lose weight is where it's unsprung, i.e. wheels, tyres, uprights, calipers, discs (alloy bells) and shockers
- also cycle wings
Bob
the weight of a brake caliper and dics is scary